Mode division multiplexing technology for single-fiber optical trapping axial-position adjustment

Opt Lett. 2013 Jul 15;38(14):2617-20. doi: 10.1364/OL.38.002617.

Abstract

We demonstrate trapped yeast cell axial-position adjustment without moving the optical fiber in a single-fiber optical trapping system. The dynamic axial-position adjustment is realized by controlling the power ratio of the fundamental mode beam (LP01) and the low-order mode beam (LP11) generated in a normal single-core fiber. In order to separate the trapping positions produced by the two mode beams, we fabricate a special fiber tapered tip with a selective two-step method. A yeast cell of 6 μm diameter is moved along the optical axis direction for a distance of ~3 μm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the trapping position adjustment without moving the fiber for single-fiber optical tweezers. The excitation and utilization of multimode beams in a single fiber constitutes a new development for single-fiber optical trapping and makes possible more practical applications in biomedical research fields.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Optical Fibers*
  • Optical Tweezers*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / cytology